BEYOND MEASURE

Every day we hear stories about the troubles in American education: our test scores are stagnant, we’re falling behind our international peers, and our schools are failing to prepare future generations to succeed in the 21st century. For the last decade, this story – and the fear it inspires – has shaped the way we talk about our education system and informed our policies.

But what if the efforts we’ve been pushing so hard in our schools are actually the things that are leaving our education system worse off? What if the initiatives that narrow, standardize and pressure our school environments are the reason our children are less engaged in school and less prepared to be thoughtful, capable, contributing adults?

In Beyond Measure we set out to challenge the assumptions of our current education story. And what we found was a revolution brewing in public schools across the country.

From Kentucky to New York City, we follow schools that are breaking away from our outmoded, test-driven education culture and pioneering a new vision for our classrooms. Schools that are asking our students to invent, to make, to imagine how they can effect change in the world today. Schools that are transforming the roles of students and teachers and putting more faith in the ingenuity of our children. And schools that are dramatically improving outcomes for children of all backgrounds.

Beyond Measure fills a void that too many other education stories have left empty – a positive picture of what’s innovative and possible in American education when communities decided they are ready for change.